Welding resistance



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WELDING RESISTANCE Filed Aug. 22, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 II 'IIII'IIIA IIIIIII Milli)!!!" Will-I III m IN V EN TOR.

Rosam- .\.CQTT|NGHAM AT TOD. N EYS Patented June 10, 1952 Robert J-.Cottingham, Huntington,

signer to Clayton Orner,

W. Va., as- Huntington, W. Va.

Application August 22, 1950, Serial No. 180,828 2 Claims. (01. 20148)This invention relatesvto electrical resistance units. and moreparticularly to resistance units e e i w ldi r i road in mine s id railbonds being necessary in order that the track may carry the full currentof the ground circuit for the mine locomotives.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedwelding resistance unit which is very simple in construction, which iseasy to transport, which is eflicient in performance, and which is easyto take apart for repairs or other required servicing.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved r sistanceunit for welding rail bonds for mine railways, said resistance unitbeing rugged in construction, being relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, and involving relatively few parts, and beinge'asy tomove'along a rail.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following e r pt a d "cl ims. an fr m th was panying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of an improvedelectrical resistance unit constructed in accordance 'withthe presentinvention;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view, partly broken away, of theresistance unit of Figure 1, said view being taken at the right end ofthe unit, as viewed in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view, partly broken away, of the left endof the resistance unit of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 4-4 ofFigure 2;

Figure5 is an enlarged, fragmentary topplan detail view of the connectormembers shown in cross-sectional view in Figure 4, and the portions ofthe resistance elements secured thereto;

Figured is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken on line 66 ofFigure 2;

Figure 7 is a side view of the terminalmember shown in cross-section inFigure 6, showing the end portion of the resistance coil element securedthereto;

Figure 8 is an enlarged front elevational detail view of one of the coilend connector members employed in a modified form of resistance unitaccording to this invention;

Figure 9 is a crossvsectional detail view taken on line 99 .of Figure 8,showing the end portions of the associated resistance elements securedto the connector member.

Referring to the drawings, the resistance unit is designated generallyat H and comprises a pair of longitudinal side frame elements 12;[2arranged in spaced parallel relationship and connected at their ends byrespective cross members l3 and I4, and at their intermediate por tionsby a transverse cross member [5. The longitudinal frame members [2 areinclined upf wardly at their respective ends, as shown 1 in Figure 1,whereby said longitudinal frame members define skids for at timessupporting the resistance unit for movement along the ground. Securedbetween the longitudinal frame members adjacent the respective ends ofthe resistance unit are the transverse shafts l6, I6, and rotatablymounted on the respective shafts are the respective flanged rollers I1,l'l, said rollers being maintained in centered relationship be: neaththe resistance unit by respective spacer sleeves l8, [8 carried on eachshaft on opposite sides of the roller I! mounted thereon; The spacersleeves l8 maintain the rollers I! in lonf gitudinal alignment withrespect to each other and maintain said rollers centered beneath theresistance unit.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the resistance unit may be supported on arail [9 by engaging the flanged roller l1 thereon, whereby the unit maybe readily moved along the rail I9.

Secured to the generally rectangular frame defined by the side members[2, I2 and the transverse members I3, I 4 and I5, are the longitudinallyspaced, arched members 20, shown in Figure 1, defining a supportingframework on which is mounted the cover memberili The cover member 2|may be of any suitably perforated sheet metal, such as expanded metal orthe like, providing ample ventilation for the interior of the unit andat the same time afl'orde ing mechanical protection therefor. Secured tothe end members 28 are insulating boards 22, and secured within each ofthe arched members 28 intermediate of the unit is an insulatingseparator board 23.

Designated at 24 are the respective helically coiled resistance elementsdisposed in parallel, longitudinally extending, spaced relation insidethe unit and passing through the separator board 23, as shown inFigure 1. The right terminal board 22 has secured thereto the respectiveend terminals,.shown at 25 and 26, connected to the terminal ends of theunit and carries also a plurality of connector members 21 whichcom nectintermediate ends of the resistance coils and support said ends on theend board. The ends of the resistance coils adjacent the left board 22are connected by connector members 21, as shown in Figure 3. The endterminal 25 is formed with an apertured lug 28 adapted to receive theterminal plug 29 of the trolley lead conductor 30, said lead conductorbeing provided at its free end with a conductive hook 3| adapted toengage over a live conductor 32, as shown in Figure 2. The end terminal26 is provided with a similar apertured lug 33 adapted to receive theterminal plug connected to the welding electrode.

Referring now to Figures 6 and '7, it will be seen that the end terminal25 is formed with an outwardly facing cup portion 34 which i received inan opening 35 formed in the end board 22. The flanged portion 35 of theterminal 25 is secured to the end board 22 by a plurality of suitablefasteners 31. The resistance element 24 is rigidly secured to a discmember 38, as by brazing, welding, or the like, said disc element 38being formed with a plurality of upstanding lugs 39 at its peripherywhich are received in recesses Ail formed in the cup portion 34.Designated at 4| is a bolt which extends through the bottom wall of thecup portion 3 2-, and which is threaded into the central portion of thedisc member 38, the head of the bolt being received inside said cupportion. The disc member 38 is thereby detachably secured to theterminal member 25, and may be disconnected therefrom by unfastening thebolt member 4|. As shown in Figures 6 and '7, the apertured lug 28comprise a relatively long sleeve element adapted to receive the shankof a terminal plug. Designated at 22 is an insulating cover platesecured over the connectors 2'! to each end board 22, the cover plate 42at the right end of the unit, as viewed in Figure 1, being suitablyapertured to receive the ends of the lugs 28 and 33.

Certain of the connector members 21 are provided with similar aperturedlugs, shown at 4 3, and the cover plates 42 are suitably apertured toreceive the outer end portions of said lugs 44.

The terminal member 25 is substantially identical in construction to theterminal member 25.

Referring now to Figures 4, 8 and 9, it will be seen that the connectormembers 21 each comprises a plate member G formed with the spaced,outwardly facing cup portions 46, 46. The ends of the resistanceelements 2 5 have secured thereto the disc members 38 which ar bolted tothe bottom walls of the cup portions 46 by bolts 4| in the same manneras described above in connection with Figures 6 and 7. The disc members33 have the lugs 39 which lockingly engage in recesses 49 in the cupportions 26. The heads of the bolts 5| are housed inside the cupportions 46. The connector members 2? are fastened to the end boards 22at their intermediate portions by suitable fasteners ll. As shown inFigures 8 and 9, the plate members 45 are formed at their intermediateportions with countersunk openings Q8 adapted to receive the fastenersll.

Secured beneath the top portions of the arched members 29 at each end ofthe resistance unit are the U-shaped bars 22, the'bight portions of saidbars projecting longitudinally outwardly at each end of the unit andhaving secured thereon the helically coiled handle springs 58.

As shown in Figure 1, the upper portions of the separator members 23 arebraced by a longitudinally extending, threaded stud 5| which passesthrough the upper portions of the separator 23 and which is rigidlysecured to the respective separator members 23 by the nuts 52, 52 onopposite sides of the respective separator members 23 and the washers 53disposed between the respective nuts 52 and the surfaces of theseparator members 23.

As above explained, the trolley wire is plugged into the aperturedterminal sleeve 28 and the welding wire plugged into the aperturedterminal sleeve 33 when minimum weldin current is desired. When greaterwelding currents are desired, the welding wire may be plugged into theintermediate terminal sleeve members 44.

The special design of the terminal brackets and coil end connectors,described above, allow the fastening bolts 4| to be covered by theinsulating cover panels 32. The cover panels 42 are secured to the endboards 22 in any suitable manner. The resistance coils may be easilyremoved for repair by removing the insulating end panels A2 andunfastening the bolts 4|. The coils may then be removed from the unitwithout dismantling the entire frame of said unit. The terminal bracketsand connector members are preferably made of bronze or other similarmetal of high conductivity having high resistance to corrosion.

- Modified forms of connector members may be employed, as shown inFigures 8 and 9, wherein the connector members are flat instead ofhaving the cup portions shown in Figure 4, in which case the insulatingend covers 42 are omitted and the coil end discs 38 are received in theopenings formed in the end boards 22. The connector members 2'! areformed with the openings 48 through which the fasteners ll may pass forsecuring the connector members to the end boards.

While a specific embodiment of a resistance unit for mine railway bondwelding has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will beunderstood that various modifications within the spirit of the inventionmay occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that nolimitations be placed on the invention other than as defined by thescope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A welding resistance unit comprising a frame, insulating end boardson said frame, a plurality of longitudinally extending resistance coilsin said frame, terminal brackets for connecting the terminal ends of thecoils to the end boards, connector members for connecting theintermediate ends of the resistance coils and securing them to the endboards, said end boards being formed with respective openings, saidbrackets and said connector members being formed with cup portionsreceived in said openings, said cup portions facing outwardly,respective disc members secured to the ends of the coils and lockinglyengaging said cup portions, means detachably securing said disc membersto said cup portions, end panels of insulating material secured to theend boards in overlying relationship to the terminal brackets andconnector members, a plurality of transverse shafts carried by thebottom of the frame, and respective flange rollers mounted centrally ofsaid shaft.

2. A welding resistance unit comprising a frame, insulating end boardson said frame, a plurality of resistance coils in said frame extendinglongitudinally substantially the full length thereof, means secured tothe frame for supporting the intermediate portions of the resistancecoils, terminal brackets for connecting the terminal ends of the coilsto the end boards,

connector members for connecting the intermediate ends of the resistancecoils and securing them to the end boards, said brackets and connectormembers being formed with outwardly facing cup portions, said end boardsbeing formed with respective openings receiving said cup portions,respective disc members secured to the ends of the coils and engagingsaid cup portions, said cup portions being formed with opposingrecesses, lugs on the disc members engaged in said recesses, respectivebolts extending through the cup portions and threadedly engaging thedisc members, end panels of insulating material secured to the endboards in overlying relation to the terminal brackets and connectormembers, apertured lugs on said terminal brackets and on certain of thecon- ROBERT J. COTTINGHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,138,659 Huenerfauth May 11,1915 1,478,435 I-Iim Dec. 25, 1923 2,438,850 Fot Mar. 30, 1948

